Funding opportunity number: L24AS00140FUNDING opportunity goals: GOALS1

This Cooperative Agreement award from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), under the Wildlife Resource Management program (CFDA 15.247), provides $400,000 in funding to the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory dba Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. The funding will support expanding the organization's Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR) program to conduct additional bird surveys on BLM lands in Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. The expanded monitoring will provide robust population estimates for migratory birds, including those of conservation concern, at various spatial scales to inform conservation planning and decisions on BLM-managed lands. The project will also develop a web-based tool to enable BLM biologists to assess population-level impacts of renewable energy projects and other activities. Annual reports and a final comprehensive analysis will be produced to support natural resource management in the target states.

Identifying and supporting projects that address wildlife habitat restoration that are in alignment with restoration landscapes, and address habitat land health standards, and improving connectivity supporting wildlife migration such as big game, and migratory birds. 2. Projects that support collaborations with state and tribal wildlife agencies to address data gaps, implement coordinated landscape or regional monitoring to inform populations status and trend tied to public lands administered by BLM. 3. Support projects that will assist BLM with using existing assessments or data to understand climate change impacts on landscape or priority ecosystems important to achieving short- and long-term habitat objectives, for example water availability during extended droughts, or new or emerging impacts for invasive species.rocky mountain bird observatory DBA bird conservancy of the rockies manages the integratedmonitoring in bird conservation regions (imbcr) program, fostering collaboration among state andfederal agencies, joint ventures, and nonprofits for comprehensive breeding landbird monitoring in thewestern U.S. The imbcr design facilitates effective bird monitoring through a probabilistic, spatiallybalanced sampling design, enabling population size inferences at various scales. Our proposal involves expanding monitoring efforts on BLM lands in idaho and utah (39 additionalsampling units), arizona (up to 70 sampling units), and new mexico (up to 55 sampling units). Thisexpansion aims to provide robust estimates for migratory birds, including those of conservation concern, at various spatial levels. A large-scale analysis using imbcr data across 12 states will informconservation planning, aligning with BLM s mandate for multiple land uses.survey results will contribute to density, occupancy, and trend estimates for migratory birds at differentscales, accessible to BLM biologists, imbcr partners, and the public through the updated rockymountain avian data center. The large-scale analysis will predict bird abundance, aiding field biologistsin estimating population-level impacts on renewable energy projects and guiding conservation planning. We will develop a web-based tool hosting spatial predictions of bird abundance, enabling biologists toassess population-level impacts on specific birds within project areas. Annual reports on survey resultsand population estimates will be produced for idaho, utah, arizona, and new mexico, along with aseparate final report for the large-scale analysis.natural resource managers in idaho, utah, arizona, and new mexico will benefit from robust populationestimates for avian species, aiding in conservation decisions. The public gains from efficient conservationfunding, informed wildlife management, and increased involvement in resource decisions. Imbcrobservers engage the public during fieldwork, fostering understanding of monitoring goals. In summary, this project enhances bird monitoring, supports conservation planning, and provides valuableinformation for resource management, benefiting both natural resource professionals and the public.